Hello from HBT’s VP of Membership
Thank you for expressing interest in HBT! We’d love to welcome you into our community—whether at a Shabbat service, holiday celebration, or one of our many programs.
We’re excited for you to meet Rabbi Aliza Schwartz, who joined HBT in 2024. She brings deep experience in Jewish social justice work in the Boston area and previously served as the Cooperberg-Rittmaster Rabbinical Intern at Congregation Beit Simchat Torah in NYC. Rabbi Aliza was ordained by the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in May 2024 and has already become a deeply valued leader and presence in our community.
As Rabbi Aliza shared:
“Over the past many months, it has become clear to me what a profoundly special community HBT is, and I am so excited to build together, pray together, act in the world together, learn together, and be with one another.”
We invite you to attend any of our events or services, meet Rabbi Aliza, and experience the warmth of the HBT community for yourself.
Temple Hillel B’nai Torah (HBT) is a Reconstructionist synagogue in West Roxbury, Boston. Our community is created by the people who make it their home, spanning generations and including Jews of every background and tradition, interfaith households, LGBTQ Jews, Jews of color, and people of all abilities. We come together in a Jewish home where each person belongs and can take part in every aspect of Jewish life.
“When I joined HBT with my little family of two, including my young child of color, I was looking for a Jewish community rooted in inclusivity, compassion, and social justice—one where we would be embraced by spiritual traditions and meaningful practice.”
—Keren Sammett, HBT member
HBT is a haimish (cozy and homey) community that is rooted in Jewish tradition while actively engaging with the world around us. Our members bring creativity and intention to making Jewish practice meaningful in today’s world.
We hope you’ll join us soon—whether for a Shabbat service, a community event, or to learn more about our Chaverim religious school for children. We look forward to getting to know you.
We welcome you to join our community. Join us today, attend an upcoming service, or explore our Chaverim religious school for children.
In Our Members’ Words
“When Carol and I first walked into an HBT Shabbat service in 1982, Dave Schraft, who may have been president at the time, greeted us by saying, ‘There’s another young couple here.’ Then he immediately asked if I wanted an aliyah. It was haimish then, and it is haimish now. Today, more than 90 children are enrolled in the Chaverim School, and our congregation reflects the full breadth of generations.”
—Lenny Markowitz, past president
“Temple Hillel B’nai Torah has been part of my family’s story for generations. My grandfather, Milton Saltman, was the congregation’s first president, carrying the vision forward from the very beginning.”
—Jeremy Ronkin, son of longtime members Allan and Sheila Ronkin and grandson of Milton Saltman, HBT’s first president
“I grew up in the Chaverim School and in a multiracial Jewish family that found a deep sense of belonging here. As families like mine joined HBT, we didn’t just adapt—we grew together.”
—Naomi Bethune, HBT member
“HBT is where I found a sense of belonging, learned what it means to be part of a Jewish community, and saw what leadership looks like. Now, as a teen board member and madrich (student teacher), I get to guide others the way I was guided.”
—Ephram Kronenberg, teen board member & Chaverim School madrich
